Portland Exceptionalism

The best local albums of 2012.

Admit it: You love lists. C’mon, you know you’re reading
every single “Best of 2012” piece, either nodding with the satisfaction
of having your own opinions validated or boiling with anger at egregious
snubs. Without debates, pop culture is boring, and nothing sparks a
good debate like a list. Let the arguing begin!

Chromatics, Kill for LoveA chilly soundtrack for brittle desire, Kill for Love is a perfectly sequenced synth-pop collection that proves things are most beautiful when held at arm’s length. CHRIS STAMM.

Monarques, Let’s Make Love Come TrueThe long-gestating debut of Josh Spacek and friends
distilled an effervescent aesthetic borne upon the sounds of pop past
but made thrillingly new. JAY HORTON.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://monarques.bandcamp.com/track/hidin-out"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Hidin' Out by Monarques&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Myke Bogan, So Long, South DakotaBogan has a gift for capturing the concept of fleeting
youth through his songs, which are built on heavy-hearted nostalgia and
the intoxicated ramblings of a 20-something rapper looking for life’s
bigger picture. REED JACKSON.

The We Shared Milk, History of Voyager and Legend TrippingCalling on 10 musician friends for
production help, the trio made not just a great, lightheaded psych-pop
album but a de facto survey of the Portland underground circa 2012.
MATTHEW SINGER.

The We Shared Milk’s Pick:And And And, No Party 7”.&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://thewesharedmilk.bandcamp.com/track/bastard-2"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Bastard by The We Shared Milk&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;